PTSD cure? U.S. military is testing treatments for soldiers so they can fight longer

The U.S. Department of Defense is funding two studies testing whether MDMA-assisted therapy can treat PTSD in active-duty soldiers so they can stay deployable longer, not just heal. Science journalist Queralt Balada reports for Science Norway that the trials, covering 186 troops, begin in 2027.

MDMA, ecstasy’s active ingredient, boosts dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, helping patients revisit trauma without feeling overwhelmed. The stakes are high: a Brown University analysis found that from 2001 to 2021, about 30,177 service members and veterans died by suicide, versus 7,052 killed in combat.

Experts Urge Caution

Not everyone is convinced. “It’s very positive that more studies are being carried out on MDMA-assisted therapy,” said Tor-Morten Kvam, a psychiatrist at Østfold Hospital Trust, though he questioned whether a military setting is appropriate.

Related on the SLP

Viewpoint: What’s the impact of the U.S. abandoning support for global health? PTSD is almost incurable. Psychedelics can help — but only in three U.S. states and Australia 

Viewpoint: Dubious environmental fears: Why the AI buildout is critical to America’s ecological future

Vitamin D, omega-3 fish oil and glucosamine supplements could cause brain damage 

Child-monitoring apps: When the cure is worse than the harm—and how the technology could be tweaked

MDMA therapy may show promise for PTSD, but using it to return soldiers to combat faster raises ethical questions science hasn’t answered.

Related on the SLP FDA rejects MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD in a setback for psychedelic medicine

Read the original article here